


So it begins

by alisia



Category: The Following
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-07
Updated: 2013-05-17
Packaged: 2017-12-10 17:51:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/788472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alisia/pseuds/alisia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How Paul & Jacob became friends with Sarah & more than friends with each other. There's going to be angst, I'm probably going to torture poor Paul emotionally because that's what I do!!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The beginning

Tell me would you kill to save a life Tell me would you kill to prove you're right ~ 30 SECONDS TO MARS - HURRICANE 

It had taken years of careful planning by Joe, but finally the day had arrived that the 2 young men he had chosen to play a pivotal role in his master plan for revenge assumed their new identities. From the moment Joe had met Paul Torres he knew that he along with Jacob Wells would be perfectly cast as 2 gay men hopelessly in love with each other. He knew that Paul’s sexuality was fluid and that Jacob was with Emma, but both had agreed though not immediately to play the roles chosen for them. Joe was also under no illusions that Paul’s instability could be a car crash waiting to happen but he sensed that in Jacob the older man would find something to anchor him. He also knew that they would eventually fall under each other’s spell given their isolation from outside distractions, yes they would be perfect. Now all he had to hope was that Sarah Fuller would let her defences down and allow them into her life. 

To begin with Paul and Jacob moved into a small one bedroom apartment close to where Paul would be working at a bank. There they would live until the house next to Sarah Fuller came onto the market after the previous owners had died tragically in a car accident according to the Havenport Sheriff’s department just after Christmas. They moved in over Easter as Paul was due to start work a few weeks later, Jacob meanwhile was studying to sit his teaching qualification certificate that would allow him to teach in the state. At first both struggled with their new living arrangements though for totally differing reasons. For Paul it was actually living with someone that was a problem, he had not lived with anyone since his late teens when he was finally kicked out of the system. He needed to feel in control 24/7 around Jacob though he was anything but. Paul was sure that pretending to be in a relationship with a man who you knew you were attracted too would not end well, especially when the object of your desire was in love with a shrew called Emma. God how he hated that woman! Jacob however struggled for other reasons, he didn’t have a problem with the outside world thinking he was one half of a gay couple but sharing a bed with Paul was another thing. He reminded Paul and himself on numerous occasions that he loved Emma and more importantly he wasn’t gay. That didn’t explain however why most mornings he found himself luxuriating in the warmth of the body he was inevitably curled up against.

It was a well-known fact to anyone who even knew Paul remotely that he hated shopping, especially clothes shopping something that Jacob either was either oblivious to or more likely simply chose to ignore. They had spent the best part of the afternoon wandering around the Mall looking for work clothes for Paul as it appeared he only owned a couple of decent shirts and only one pair of dress trousers, much to Jacob’s dismay.   
“I work from home” Paul had told him as a way of explaining his lack of clothes in general, he was rewarded by Jacob giving him one of his broadest smiles and then being told “no worries we can go shopping”, to which Paul could only groan loudly. Presently they were in a large department store and Jacob stood holding up not one but two suits, for his efforts he was being rewarded with what could only be described as a death glare by Paul.  
“I’m thinking the charcoal one with the thin stripe or do you prefer the solid black one?”  
“Neither” Paul said crossing his arms across his chest   
“We’ll take both then” Jacob said walking towards the cashier   
“Why do I need 2 suits?”  
“Because you are going to be working for a bank and I doubt they’d appreciate it if you turned up dressed like that” Jacob said taking in Paul’s appearance.  
“I’m going to be working as a computer tech” Paul said sullenly   
“For which you’ll still have to wear a suit, so shut up with the whining” Jacob said rolling his eyes   
“I hate wearing a suit” Paul moaned   
“You’ll get over it” Jacob said giving him that 1000 megawatt smile that did strange things to Paul.

“So if there anything else you want to change about me?” Paul asked as he took in his new appearance in the full length mirror. He was wearing the charcoal suit Jacob had picked out for him earlier, his hair was shorter than it had been in years and instead of glasses he now wore contact lenses.  
“No, you finally look like Billy Thomas, hot shot techie rather than Paul Torres, computer hacker extraordinaire” Jacob said resting his chin on Paul’s shoulder  
“And which do you prefer?” Paul asked him   
“Paul” Jacob said wrapping his arms around Paul’s waist.

For someone who had never really actually had a real job Paul found himself enjoying the 9-5 life or as it turned out 7-7 life. It helped that his new job involved hacking into the bank’s systems which he’d bemoaned over dinner to Jacob as so laughable they wouldn’t challenge a 10 year old. He even had an assistant called Lucy who organised his day for him, reminding him when he had a meeting to attend, but best of all she kept him topped up with coffee. Jacob actually found himself jealous. He had passed his examination and was now a fully-fledged teacher, he’d even found a position at the local state school, but he would not start until September. Out of desperation he had been in to see the Head of his new school to get a draft of the curriculum plan for 2nd graders he’d be teaching so he could start preparing for the new school year. Mr Davies the Head had commented on how refreshing it was to have someone so eager on board, Jacob had resisted telling him he was simply bored. 

In late June they began packing up their new life as the much anticipated house finally came on the market, Paul phoned the realtor the same day to arrange a viewing even though he knew it wasn’t necessary. He had already arranged the mortgage through the bank he worked for and had a sizeable down payment sitting in the bank thanks to Joe. Paul viewed the house on his own much to Jacob’s annoyment making an offer for the full asking price on the spot. 

Sarah Fuller had been dreading this day for the last 6 months, the day the sold sign went up on the “For Sale” board on the house next door to hers. Her anxiety had risen even more when she’d spoken to the realtor  
“They’re a young professional couple who are new to the area” she said   
“So when are they moving in?”   
“Soon I think, they are renting at the moment, but the husband was eager for us to exchange as soon as possible”.

As it was they moved into the townhouse in mid August. Paul had told Jacob they would do the move over the weekend so he wouldn’t have to take time off work, Jacob had told him he was living in cloud cuckoo land, as it was Paul was right sort of. Sarah was just coming back from work when a SUV pulled up on next door’s driveway. A tall smartly dressed man got out of the car, talking animatedly into his mobile phone as he walked up the driveway and into the house. A few minutes later a box van pulled up and a scruffily dressed Hispanic man got out of the drivers’ side, a small dark haired woman got out of the other side.   
“Man what took you so long?”  
“It’s my fault, I told him to go left when it should have been straight on” she said apologetically   
“Don’t make excuses for him Lucy he can get lost going to the bathroom” the younger man said walking over to the other man as another car pulled up behind the van   
“You’re so funny”   
“Yeah I am” he said leaning in to kiss the other man   
It took them in total just under 2 hours to unload the van with the help of Lucy and her boyfriend Chris, all witnessed from the safety of her living room by Sarah.   
“Thanks for your help guys it’s appreciated” Jacob said walking both back to their car  
“It’s been our pleasure” Lucy told him   
“Just make sure he’s the one making the coffee for the next month”  
“Don’t worry he will be, I’ve even got the promise of lunch out of him”   
“Lucky you, just make sure he takes you somewhere nice”   
“Oh I will” 

“You know what they all think about us don’t you?” Paul said later as they sat on the only piece of furniture they presently owned surrounded by numerous boxes   
“Who”  
“The neighbours” Paul said stretching out his legs  
“Does it matter? Okay what do they think?”   
“Rich white boy and his bit of Mexican rough” Paul said looking out of the corner of his eye at Jacob who though shaking his head had the biggest grin on his face   
“Well it’s better than the truth” Jacob said honestly, to which Paul could only agree.

The next morning Paul was up early, leaving Jacob still asleep in bed, he used his early morning run as cover to check out his new habitat. Paul hated not knowing his surroundings he found it unnerving and had an irrational need to have an escape route plotted out in his head in case of trouble arising. By the time he got back 45 minutes later he found Jacob sat on the sofa nursing a cup of coffee.   
“Where have you been?” Jacob said looking up bleary eyed   
“For a run” Paul said as he walked over to the fridge to pull out a bottle of water  
“You should have woken me”   
“Why, you were fast on?” Paul said sitting down beside him   
“No reason” Jacob said suddenly realising how foolish he sounded   
“I’m going to grab a shower then we can go by the apartment and pick the rest of your gear up” Paul said ruffling Jacob’s hair before disappearing upstairs. 

“Do you think we should go and say hello?” Jacob asked as he carried the last of the boxes in   
“No”   
“But….”  
“…we’ll let her come to us, if we appear too eager she’ll just shy away from us”   
“No she won’t, it’s just you being anti-social” Jacob said shaking his head   
“May be I am, but we are still going to wait for her to come to us” Paul told Jacob and he knew there would no arguing with him on the matter. 

Sarah had not gone out of her way to avoid her new neighbours since they moved in a couple of weeks ago it was just a case of her not seeing them. The only time she’d even spoken more than 2 words to one of them was the first Monday when they younger one, who had obviously been waiting for her to come home, had shouted to her as she got out of her car. He told her he would be home all week as he was doing some painting and to bang on the wall if the music got too loud. She had simply nodded to him and practically ran inside much to his dismay she was sure. On the few occasions she had seen him since he’d always been polite and said hello, a smile always on his face. She assumed that his partner was working because other than on the weekend when she saw him going out for a run she barely saw him, his car was gone early in a morning and didn’t return until late. Labour weekend was the first time she met them socially. They had all agreed to attend Daphne’s BBQ, though Sarah had arrived when the party was in full swing after doing a shift at the local hospital.   
“Hi” Sarah turned around to see the younger man   
“Hi”   
“We’ve not been properly introduced I’m Will” he said as normal a smile on his face   
“I’m Sarah” she said   
“I hope I’ve not been too loud…..I mean I hope I’ve not been playing my music too loud” he continued realising that Sarah was giving him a blank look   
“No, I barely heard you”   
“That’s good” Jacob suddenly felt very awkward and wondered where Paul was, as if by magic an arm snaked it’s way around his waist pulling him hard against the firm body   
“I wondered where you’d gone” Paul said not taking his eyes off Sarah   
“I got bored of you talking shop with Frank, which you promised you wouldn’t” Jacob said poking him in the ribs   
“Sorry babe” Paul said returning his attention back to Jacob thus allowing Sarah to escape to the relative safety of their host.   
“I’ve saved you some food, it’s in the house” Daphne said as she guided Sarah inside.   
“Thank you”   
“So what do you think of our new neighbours....” Daphne asked as she handed Sarah a plate   
“… Will is going to be teaching at my granddaughter’s school after the holidays” she continued   
“I’ve only just found out his name but he seems pleasant enough, not sure about the other one”   
“Billy, he works for a bank in the fraud department” she said seemingly pleased with herself for gaining information about their new neighbours   
“He does?” Sarah wasn’t quite sure why she was surprised at him working for a bank

“She thinks I’m an idiot” Jacob said as he sat on the bed waiting for Paul to finish in the bathroom  
“Why?” Paul said popping his head around the door toothbrush in hand   
“Because….I didn’t know what to say to her, I didn’t want to come on too strong in case I frightened her” Jacob said running his hand through his hair   
“No she doesn’t, she’s just more skittish that Joe said she’d be” Paul said walking back into their bedroom wearing only a pair of black boxers, Jacob looked down at the floor not trusting himself not to blush at the sight of a half naked Paul.   
“Do you think I should go around tomorrow and apologise” Jacob said making his way into the bathroom   
“No, just let her be. There is plenty of time for us to become friends with her. If she still hates us in a year’s time then we worry but I’ll be damned to do so after only a couple of weeks” 

Paul looked up from his cereal with an amused smile on his face. Jacob looked like he wanted to throw up.   
“Why don’t you eat something, it will help you feel better” he said as he returned his attention back to the TV  
“I can’t. What if they hate me?”   
“Who”   
“The kids, what if they take one look at me and hate me?” Jacob had at least stopped pacing. Paul put his cereal down and walked over to his friend  
“They won’t, they’ll love you, the teachers will like you….” he said stopping in front of the younger man  
“… and the mothers will want to fuck you…” Paul told him  
“Paul” Jacob all but moaned his name   
“I mean it they will, but you best tell them that your skinny ass belongs to me…” Paul said taking Jacob’s face in his hands   
“…but most important of all just remember you are amazing and they are lucky to have you teaching at their school” Paul said leaning forward to kiss Jacob’s forehead.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul gets horny & tetchy, Jacob's just plain confused!

Carefully disentangling himself from a sleeping Jacob, Paul made his way into the small en-suite bathroom locking the door firmly behind him. He turned on the shower before stripping his boxers off and stepping into the shower allowing the warm water to wash over his tired body, resting his forehead against the cool tiles willing his traitorous body to behave. He had always known it would be hard living in such close proximity to Jacob but he didn’t realise it would turn him into a masochist. If only Thiago could see him now he’d have pissed himself laughing at the pathetic specimen he’d become. It was at times like this he missed his friend so much, Thiago was until recently the only man he had ever cared for, loved even, only Paul had been too stupid to realise what he had until he was gone. Letting out a sob Paul finally let the tears that had been threatening for weeks fall, too exhausted to fight them any longer. 

After living with Paul for several months Jacob had grown use to either waking up to an empty bed or with him wrapped around him. Though if honest, he wasn’t actually sure which he preferred. This morning he had woken up alone, at least Paul was still home as he could hear the radio playing downstairs. Freshly showered and dressed Jacob made his way downstairs to find Paul just about to leave for the day  
“Morning”  
“Morning” Paul said as he grabbed his keys out of the ugly bowl that lived on the worktop  
“What time are you going to be home?”  
“Late, I’ve got meetings all day”  
“But, it’s a Friday”  
“I know but we’ve the VP coming and that bastard never leaves early”  
“I’ll see you later then” Jacob said as Paul disappeared through the door that lead to the garage

Paul didn’t like Edward J Harrison III, he’d spent the last 20 minutes coming up with imaginative ways to kill the most senior Vice President of his bank, all of which seemed lacking in some way. He had started the day of by asking Paul if he looked so tired because he’d been “in the saddle” all night. Given that the man was old enough to be Paul’s father and grossly obese Paul considered confirming that he had indeed been “in the saddle all night” and given his boyfriend the best fuck of his life just to see if he spontaneously combusted on the spot. Instead however he just settled for saying he’d been working until late last night on the presentation. His answer got him a pat on the back and to be told “good man”. Needless to say that by the time Paul arrived home a little after 5 he had a thumping headache. Surprised but also slightly relieved to find that Jacob was yet home he went to make himself a coffee but remembered that he’d had the last of it at 6am that morning, assuming that Jacob had gone shopping he rang his mobile leaving a message. Realising that if he sat on the sofa he’d fall asleep Paul decide to go for a shower hoping it would help lessen his thumping headache.

He knew that Paul would be annoyed with him, but if he was honest Jacob was fed up with his friend’s moodiness. So he was going for drinks with a couple of his fellow teachers it wasn’t a big deal, still Jacob felt like he should have phoned Paul to tell him. Hell he’d probably be home before him anyway given what he’d said this morning, so screw him he was going to enjoy himself tonight and for one night he was going to forget Paul Torres and their whole fucked up non-relationship. After just a couple of drinks Jacob had found himself left alone with Jess and Fran. It was getting late and he knew he should probably call a cab instead he ordered another drink.  
“So tell me Will do you have a girlfriend” Fran asked him  
“Nope” Jacob said taking another sip of his wine, as if by magic Paul chose that moment to phone his mobile but he chose to ignore it, Jess noticed the name “Billy” on the display  
“Aren’t you going to answer it?” Jess asked him  
“Nope, he’s only to bitch at me for not being at home” Jacob told her as he took another sip from his drink. 

Paul stood under the warm water until it cooled, he had relieved some of the tension by allowing his imagination take over, so he imagined it’s Jacob’s hand snaking its way down his body, it’s was Jacob’s hand that moved on his cock bringing him to a climax. Wrapping a towel around his waist he made his way into the bedroom, flopping down on the bed and promptly falling asleep and to dream of nothing for a change. 

About 2 hours and 4 glasses of wine later Jacob realised he really should go home. Jess had been weird with him since Paul had phoned and he'd decided he couldn’t handle her weirdness any more than he could Paul’s.  
“Do you want me to phone a cab for you?” Fran asked him as he announced he should be getting home whilst he could remember where he lived.   
“Nah I’ll be okay”  
“How about I phone your friend?” Jess asked, but before Jacob could say anything she was pressing Billy on his phone. It took a few rings before a sleepy voice answered  
“Hello, my name is Jess I’m a colleague of Will’s….”  
“Has something happened to him…?”  
“No we went out for a drink and....”  
“The lightweight is drunk isn’t he, tell me where you are I’ll come get him” Jess could tell that he was worried so she gave him the address  
“I’ll be there in 20 no make it 30 minutes” Paul said  
“Was he angry?” Jacob asked  
“No he said he’ll come and get you. I’m taking it he’s your boyfriend?” Jess told him rather than asked the question.  
“I should have told you. I’m sorry if I let you think I was single, it’s just…. It’s just all new to me, the gay thing I mean” Jacob said chewing on his bottom lip.  
“Yes you should”.  
The moment Paul arrived Jess knew who he was, it figured that someone like Will would have an equally hot boyfriend.  
“So your boy is he tall, dark and gorgeous or short and fat?” Jess asked him as Paul looked around the bar for them  
“He’s tall and dark not sure about the gorgeous bit”  
“Trust me darling he’s gorgeous” Fran said as Paul approached them. Jacob sensed Paul was there before he put a gentle hand on his back.  
“Thanks for looking after him, can I drop you both off anywhere?” Paul asked as he ran a soothing hand up Jacob’s back.  
“No we’re good thanks, my husband’s just arrived” Fran said looking over at a dark haired man who was walking over to them  
“Thanks again, come on mister time to go home” Paul said as he gently helped Jacob up  
“Jess thinks you’re gorgeous” Jacob said as he fell into Paul  
“Does she now” Paul said running a finger down Jacob’s cheek, everyone else forgotten momentarily by the pair of them.  
“Nice to meet you…” Jess said as she put her coat on.  
“Billy, and likewise it’s nice to put a face to a name at last” he said looking Jess in the eye, realising that she was no threat to him. 

Sarah had just pulled a double shift and wanted nothing more than to have a bath before going to bed, so the last thing she wanted was to hear a full blown argument between her new neighbours. Doors slammed and a car could be heard pulling away at speed. That would be Billy she thought, there was something about the Mexican Sarah didn’t like, Will on the other hand appeared to be quite sweet. She had wondered why someone like Will would be with someone like Billy, but then she’d seen how the older man looked at him, he obviously adored him. Maybe that was enough for the younger man.  
Paul had no idea who the man was; it wasn’t as if he really cared because all he needed was to find a willing body rather than his hand to relieve the tension that was building up inside him. He needed someone to help him forget that Jacob Wells existed.   
“How do you want to do this” the man asked as he ran his hand down Paul’s chest, the look on his face must have answered his question because he turned around, bracing himself against the wall.  
“What you waiting for?” he said looking over his shoulder at Paul a smile on his face. Paul closed his eyes trying to block out Jacob, but he couldn’t.  
“I’m sorry I can’t” he said before running out of the room.  
Jacob sat on the kitchen floor arms tightly wrapped around his knees, his back to the fridge, tears streaming down his face. The stupid thing was he didn’t even know why he’d said what he said, but what he did know was that the look on Paul’s face had broken his heart.  
Just before midnight Paul came home, he ignored Jacob who had by now moved to the sofa, going straight upstairs. Some part of Jacob’s brain registered that Paul was back and he followed him upstairs. When he reached their bedroom Paul was stuffing clothes into a rucksack.  
“What are you doing?” Jacob asked, but Paul didn’t answer him or even look at him, instead he went into the bathroom coming out with a couple items and shoving them into his bag.  
“Paul, please I’m sorry I didn’t mean it….” Jacob said grabbing hold of Paul’s arm  
“Take your fucking hands off me….” Paul said shoving Jacob’s hand off him  
“….after all I disgust you don’t I?” Paul didn’t even try to hide the hurt or the hate from his voice; he couldn’t however take any pleasure from seeing Jacob flinch at his words.  
“You don’t, I don’t know why I said what I did….” Jacob started saying as Paul picked up the rucksack  
“….where are you going?”  
“Anywhere as long as I’m away from you” Paul said  
“What about the plan?”  
“I don’t give a fuck, tell Joe and maybe he’ll do you a favour and have me killed. Bye Jacob” Paul said giving one final look in Jacob’s direction before disappearing downstairs. Jacob stood rooted to the spot for an age before he lay down on the bed, their bed and cried himself to sleep.


End file.
